- Then the woman went to all the people in her wisdom. And they cut off the head of Sheba the son of Bichri and threw it out to Joab. So he blew the trumpet, and they dispersed from the city, every man to his home. And Joab returned to Jerusalem to the king. 2 Samuel 20:22 – Sheba was a man who took advantage of the weakened state of Israel and sought to lead the nation away from King David. After being targeted by David’s armies for his treason, he ran and hid within a local city for shelter. David’s armies came to the city and were about to tear the whole place down to get to Sheba, when a wise woman came, spoke with David’s armies, and agreed to get rid of Sheba herself so the city wouldn’t have to be destroyed. As we can read from our verse, when Sheba was taken care of, David’s army left and the city was saved. In our walk with the Lord can we say we too have dealt with our “Shebas?” In our personal life, have we rid ourselves of the sin that has found its way into our life? In our church, have we rid it of the bitterness and selfishness that can find its way into the body? In our marriages, have we rid them from the all the things that shouldn’t be present in a godly marriage? Why should our marriages, churches, and selves be destroyed completely when all that needs to be destroyed is the sin within them? Like in our passage, remove the “Sheba,” remove the sin. There is no reason for the whole of these wonderful things to be destroyed when all that needs to be done is a rejection of the sin that has found its way into such places. Sever the “Sheba.” I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 3039
- 1 Samuel 20 Daily DEVO And he (David) rose and departed, and Jonathan went into the city. 1 Samuel20:42b – This separation of two close friends had to take place because of the hatred and envy of Saul. If you are ever in a conversation where someone is telling you their sin doesn’t hurt anyone else but themselves, tell them this story in chapter 20. Yes, Saul’s sin is obliviously hurting him, but it’s range of pain is far more than just himself. So is the sin within our stories too. Our common enemy has a lie he often uses to deceive us with which is that our sin only effects us. Yet from this story, and from possible personal stories too, you know this not to be true. Others hurt as well because of your sin. So my plea to you today is to step away from the sin in your story. Not only for yourself and your walk with God, but for the other people in your life to. Let’s dwell less on the ways to satisfy our desires and dwell more on the way our life is influencing the lives of others in a healthy way. Saul’s kingdom fell apart because of his sin, your story doesn’t have to have that same ending. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 420
- And Jonathan said, “Far be it from you! If I knew that it was determined by my father that harm should come to you, would I not tell you?” 1 Samuel 20:9 – Jonathan thought it beyond crazy that if he knew his father was going to hurt his friend that he wouldn’t tell his friend about it. If he knew that his friend was in danger nothing would stop him from making sure his friend knew about the danger. Today, our non-Christian friends are in danger. If they were to die today they would find themselves in eternal pain. You though have the message that could save them from that. Will you share it or let them continue walking towards danger? Let the message of the Gospel be poured out of your mouth and into the lives of those in danger. If we truly love our friends like we say we do, then we’ll muster up the courage and set aside the worry and tell them about the danger ahead of them and the rescue plan Jesus has made for them. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1645
- And when the boy came to the place of the arrow that Jonathan had shot, Jonathan called after the boy and said, “Is not the arrow beyond you?” 1 Samuel 20:37 – To the boy that was picking up Jonathan’s arrows, this response from Jonathon that the arrows were a little beyond him would have meant nothing, yet for David it would have been the phrase he hated to hear and that changed his whole life. That phrase meant that indeed King Saul was seeking David and that it was no longer safe for David to say in the palace. David would have to leave his home, his wife, his friends, his army, and his people. Instead of eating at the king’s table and leading the army of Israel, David would now be a fugitive and outcast for years until the death of Saul. What David said to Jonathan at the start of the chapter makes this even harder, “What have I done? What is my guilt?” David was innocent, yet still was forced to make such a hard change. We too may find ourselves stepping away from a blessed season and into a hard one. It may come along with phrases like, “the results are in, you have cancer,” or “I don’t love you anymore.” And we may also be guiltless in all this, yet still finding ourselves experiencing this unwanted life change. When this happens, know it’s alright to weep for what is being left behind, just like David did. Trust through God is still on the throne and trust all this is being handled by Him. He will never leave you nor forsake you, and if a change like this is occurring in your life, God is aware and God is going to use it somehow for His glory. Remain faithful and remain in pursuit of Jesus. Changes like this are never easy, but have confidence that the Lord will always be with you in whatever season He takes you into. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2897
Daily DEVO 